


The Song of The Planet

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: The Care and Handling of Silver Chickabos [6]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:54:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22234390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: "I can hear something,""What's that?""Something that you've been missing."
Relationships: Cloud Strife & Vincent Valentine, Cloud Strife & Yazoo, Cloud Strife/Barret Wallace, Sephiroth & Cloud Strife, Zack Fair & Cloud Strife
Series: The Care and Handling of Silver Chickabos [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/478483
Comments: 71
Kudos: 169





	1. Puppy Surprise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ChaosBalance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaosBalance/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought Chickabos was down and out, it's Alive!!! Life and other updates hit first but I promise this isn't abandoned, merely... delayed. A lot. XD 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Cloud took the triplets with him on deliveries, switching out which kid every time he went and made sure to keep the schedule posted at eye-level for each of their new bodies. 

Clothes wers slightly easier, considering the adult catsuits no longer fit, and he could buy colors that they'd never worn before. Loz took to green, Kadaj to a soft powder blue and Yazoo to burgundy. 

He made sure to bundle them up for rides, tiny scarves clumsily crocheted from his memories of being taught by his Ma with helmets to match. 

The burgundy helmet in front of him now made him crack a grin.

This delivery was from Junon to Kalm, crossing over the mountains on Fenrir. Keeping an eye out for monster spawns was Yazoo's "job." 

"Big brother?" Cloud slowed to a stop, his legs steadying the bike on either side. 

"Hmm?" 

"I can hear something," Yazoo muttered. 

"Explain." He prodded gently, knowing that it took a moment before Yazoo would continue. 

"Something that you've been missing." At that, Cloud looked down at his passenger. 

"Something I've been missing?" 

Yazoo cocked his head to the side, tilting it the other way and pointed to an outcropping several hundred feet up. "There." 

"After the delivery, okay? We'll go look together." He promised, dipping down to blow a raspberry against Yazoo's neck just to hear laughter. 

"Hehehe! Okay~"

* * *

Back on the ridge, Cloud set Fenrir under a Barrier Cast and hoisted Yazoo up into a piggy back position, hands clamped around his neck and legs around his hips. "Which way?" 

"Mmm... that way?" Yazoo pointed steadily up, his finger unwavering in its course even if Cloud turned around. 

"Hold on." Cloud called Barret, chewing on his bottom lip when all he got was voicemail. "Hey _liebster_ , I'm gonna go check something out with Yaz. Call me in 20 if you get this or if you haven't heard back in an hour from me. Love you, bye." 

The height was something he was used to but he made sure to keep track of his son's breathing the higher they got. 

"Left now," Yazoo muttered about three hundred feet up. Cloud found a cave entrance and sent a perimeter Libra and then a Max Scan throughout the area. 

What echoed back made him recoil, first out of fear for Yazoo and then anger won out. 

An underground facility was perched in the mountains, reeking of Hojo's meddling and ShinRa's dirty past. 

He called Vincent, Nibel slipping into his voice in his anger, "I found another « _verdammt_ » facility." 

"... Where are you? Do you want me to get the others?" Vincent replied. 

"Just you; it doesn't warrant all of AVALANCHE. It's small." Cloud mentioned, cancelling the Scan after a minute. "Yazoo found it." 

"Don't move in until I get there." 

"I'll wait," he sighed as the other end clicked. "Yazoo, you doing alright?" 

"Mmhmm. It's not bad." 

Cloud blinked at that. "You're sure?" 

Yazoo had gained the ability—after his dip in the LifeStream—to find places that were, by all rights, hidden from plain sight. He could also tell its intent; good, bad or otherwise. 

"Uh-huh."

"... What did you mean by something I'm missing?" 

"A Puppy." Yazoo chirruped, perfectly content to pillow his chin on Cloud's pauldron.

"Yazoo, « _kind_ », I'm still a little lost." He pointed out dryly. 

"Gotta wait for Mr. Val-en-tine." His son sounded out. "Puppy and the Flower waited this long." 

Yazoo had also gained the ability to make cryptic statements that would do Aerith proud. 

"Alright. Did you want to practice katas again?"

"Nope~" 

Cloud hummed and rocked in place, heel-to-toe as he waited for familiar crimson on the horizon.

* * *

Vincent arrived in a whirl of shifting crimson fabric, golden sabatons crunching against the shale of the outcropping. 

"... Hello little kitten." 

"Hi Mr. Val-en-tine. We're ready now." 

"Hnn." 

"Code's 1984." Yazoo's adult voice returned on occasion to relay important information. "The door that follows is 1981 and the final door you will have to break down. It requires facial recognition that will fail." 

"Thank you, Yaz." Cloud managed before he centered himself with a deep breath. The door gave way beneath the code, causing Vincent to trade an uneasy glance with him.

They made their way through the facility, dust puffing up every three steps they took. Most of the doors were opened and the lockers gaped, lab coats practically ecosystems of their own with the dust that had accumulated. 

Cloud slowly typed in the second code, recognizing that they were significant years but not why; hopefully the reason would fall into place soon enough. 

He readied the Hollow Blade and handed Yazoo off to Vincent at the last door, which had a facial scan. It failed as predicted and bars locked into place from above and below the door. 

Cloud charged up his Limit Break and exploded the blocked entrance with Cross Slash. 

The four Mako pods in the room took his breath away. 

_**"Zack?!"**_ Cloud didn't care that his voice cracked or that he stumbled to the pod containing his best friend. Yazoo's fingers touched his cheek and pulled away wet. 

He hadn't realized he'd been crying. Yazoo offered his arms and Cloud engulfed him, his face buried in Yazoo's neck in order to collect himself. "Are you alright, « _kind_ »?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." 

"Cloud." Vincent's warning tone had Cloud's face snapping up. "Sephiroth is here." 

Floating in Mako suspension, Sephiroth sported a scar that matched the Buster now on display in the church. 

"... if that's Sephiroth, then who did we fu-dging face?!" Cloud censored himself at the last moment, giggles floating up from his son. 

"Perhaps JENOVA herself using him as an vessel." Vincent offered dryly. "With our luck, I wouldn't expect otherwise." 

"What about the other two?" 

"Wake the Puppy and you'll see." Yazoo piped up. 

Cloud sheathed the Hollow Blade, picked up Yazoo and then pressed the disengage button on the tank. Mako flushed out and lowered Zack to the bottom of the tank. 

The glass slid up and Zack, soaked in residual Mako, shook his head slowly. "Oh my _head_... I hate being 'tanked." 

"Zack?" 

Violet eyes slow blinked, then did a double take at Yazoo. 

"Uh, Cloud, two questions; why do you have a mini-Seph?" 

Cloud huffed out a laugh and rubbed a steadying hand up and down Yazoo's back before he stood, keeping a hand on Yazoo to stabilize him. "This is Yazoo, unfortunately known as Sephiroth Clone # 15 in Hojo's files." 

"How are you not Mako poisoned?" 

"Long story, Zack, but we'll get there." He admitted. "Now I have a question for you-Who are your 'tank mates?" 

"... Huh. Uh, that's Angeal Hewley and that's Gen—Hey, waitaminute, did you say _Sephiroth Clone # 15?!?_ " Zack yelped as he staggered up and leaned against the Mako tank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	2. The Past Does Not Define

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I'm on a Roll so you get the next bit~ 
> 
> Side note; none of the characters are clones aside from those previously mentioned as being clones. I promise every character is the character written as I do them.
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

"I did but he's... not an exact clone. Got a bit of Vincent, bit of me and then Sephiroth." Cloud shrugged. Old news to him was a shock to Zack. 

"How do you know I'm not a fake?" Zack prodded. 

"Let's just say that a lot happened; end of the world, Sephiroth clones, more world-ending bull crap and now this kind of doesn't even phase me. I've got four kids, three of which are basically mini-SOLDIERs and uh, been a bit busy raising them." Cloud looked down and then pointed out dryly, "You're also wearing the same shirt you died in and the scars from the bullet holes are obvious." 

"I did die." 

Vincent cleared his throat and murmured, "There's... a five-to-ten minute window in which a Phoenix Down or Regen Materia may be used. ShinRa infantry record states that they left two dead bodies.Turk records show two _live_ ones." 

"I thought I saw a familiar red ponytail..." Zack muttered. "Did you say Sephiroth was here?" 

"In the tank adjacent to yours, yes." Vincent pointed with his gauntlet, the Mako tank still holding the vision of a Sephiroth scarred by the Buster. 

"Big brother, is that _Him_?" Yazoo asked. 

"Mmhmm." Cloud's fingers inched towards the main blade but retracted at the sight of Yazoo. He'd already seen and been a part of too much violence. 

"He doesn't feel like _Her_ , though Kadaj might know better." came the thoughtful reply. 

"You're sure, little one?" Vincent murmured. 

"Yeah." 

"Okay, uh, questions for the real me?" Zack asked. 

"Where'd we meet?" 

"Too easy; Modoheim! Try again?" 

"... What did you tell me on the cliff?" Cloud questioned, the hand not holding Yazoo's flexing. 

"That you're my living legacy." Zack's voice trembled at that, his hands making dents in the metal of the tank. "Fu-dge, that, uh, that does it. Are we letting Angeal and Genesis out first or...?" 

"Why them first?" Vincent asked, all four of them facing Sephiroth's tank. 

"Because together they're about Seph's equal in combat," Zack pointed out, "though, considering how I feel after a tanking? You might wanna do him first." 

Cloud ushered Yazoo back over to Vincent and braced himself with the Hollow Blade in hand, pressing the disengage button and watching the Mako, thicker than Zack's had been, drain like sludge through the bottom before the glass slid up like it had with Zack. 

" _ **Kill me**_." Cloud blinked at the harsh command coming from Sephiroth's throat. "If not you, then Zack." 

Cloud's mouth got there before his brain did and he retorted, "Zack couldn't do it last time, what makes you think he's willing to kill you twice?" 

"Hey, Seph, quick question; what the fu-dge were you on in Nibelheim?!" Zack barked, editing himself because of Yazoo. 

"Why are you still standing there if you know what I did." Sephiroth growled back before his voice slid to sheer panic. _"Kill me before I do it again!"_

Cloud snarled wordlessly—the same way he did with the triplets—and Sephiroth folded like a wet rag, bearing the back of his neck the same way they did. 

Cloud sheathed the blade, gently but firmly cupped the exposed neck and murmured, "You're safe now." 

Yazoo piped up, "Does that mean I have another brother?" 

"I... guess so. Sephiroth, this is Yazoo. He's your little brother and your job is to protect him if I can't. Is that okay?" 

"Yes?" The way he leaned into Cloud's hold made Cloud sigh. 

"Only answer that if you're comfortable with it, Sephiroth; don't tell me what you think I want to hear." He countered. 

"I've never had anyone to look after. What if I do it wrong?" came the quiet inquiry. 

"Well, you'll have help. You're not the only brother they have, you know." Cloud offered, "There's two more and a sister." 

"... Oh. Then yes." Sephiroth engulfed Yazoo in a damp hug that the latter indulged with a smile and a cheek pressed to Sephiroth's own. 

A horrible realization dawned on Cloud looking at the two of them. "... You never had a last name." 

"No." 

"Do you want to think on it?" 

"... Can I have... yours?" The hesitation made Cloud want to settle on the grimy floor and hold both of them. 

"Mm, that's a possibility but you're also related to Vincent." Cloud admitted with a tilt of his head in Vincent's direction. 

Green eyes zeroed in on Vincent, the sway of the crimson cloth standing out in the gloom.

"Oh." 

"Found that tidbit out the hard way when we went back through your Mom's records." He mentioned and the slitted gaze swung back to him.

"JENOVA?" 

"JENOVA isn't our Mom," Yazoo snorted before he blew a raspberry. "She's not even a _person_." 

"He is... correct. Your Mother, Sephiroth, was Dr. Lucrecia Crescent. As I was once involved with her... The possibility of being your Father is quite high." 

"Hojo might not...?" Sephiroth trailed off, curled a little tighter around Yazoo and then huffed. "Would serve him right if I wasn't; he claimed that I was perfection incarnate and thus so was he." 

"Serves him right because he's dead." Cloud supplied as he disengaged the other two tanks. "Vincent caught him right inbetween the eyes with a bullet. Wish he'd done more than that when I figured out what Hojo did to the triplets." 

"There are more—" The fury on Sephiroth's face made Cloud's hand itch for the blades on his back but he pushed down the instinct. 

"Eighteen in total after you "died" in Nibelheim." 

"That _lowlife, no-account fraud_ —" Sephiroth grumbled but subsided when Zack plopped down next to him. 

"Hey, he's dead and you're alive. Best revenge is living well." 

"Don't you quote Angeal at me, Puppy." 

"Who is Angeal, exactly?" Cloud asked. 

"I am but might I ask who you are?" The soft rumble of an exhausted tone made Cloud draw a sidewinder out of sheer habit. "Nice sword." 

Something tickled at the memories that were still foggy in places. "Wait, wait, were you... General Hewley?" 

"I haven't heard that name in a while." The drawl from the tank opposite General Hewley lead Cloud to red hair and a smirk that he instantly wanted to punch off. "Who's the hot blond, Zack?" 

"That's Cloud." 

"And the tall drink of Koolaid with the cloak?" 

"That's Vincent and we're like 90 percent sure he's Seph's Dad so for the love of Typhoon, don't flirt with him." Zack supplied before the redhead could go any further. "This _was_ General Genesis Rhapsodos." 

"All I'm getting from that is fireballs and a bad temper, Zack." 

"Accurate," General Hewley snorted. "A bit simple but yes, he was fond of throwing fireballs at—Were you in the Infantry?!" 

"I feel like this is all I'm saying today but, General, it's a long story and I think we need to get out of the facility and into somewhere slightly more secure since I broke the door down before we talk more." Cloud said again. "Vincent, I think we're at least going to need the _Shera_ and Cid." 

"Hnn, it would be the safest place aside from the church." 

Hadn't Yazoo said something about a Flower too?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


	3. The Promised Flower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, I have enough for a chapter~ 
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

A fifth Mako tank descended after all four had been disengaged, holding someone Cloud swore up and down that he'd never see again. 

Aerith. 

Though her dress was patched with neat surgical stitches, the terrible wound had healed over, her scars now matching Cloud's own front-to-back set inflicted by Masamune. 

She didn't wake, though her breathing was steady, and her fingers twitched when Cloud gently scooped her up. 

Zack wobbled upright and then winced with, "Yeah, nope, 'tanking is fudging awful for your leg muscles. It's gonna take everything we have just to walk. Looks like you get to carry our Flower for now."

"We'll need to get her to the church; it might wake her. Mako... it isn't good for her." Cloud hummed, listening to the drops still sliding down her hair carefully. 

"Hnn, agreed. Sephiroth, can you move?" 

"... Yes." 

"Take Yazoo because he cannot come down the same way he came up. The three of you will have to be careful." Vincent informed him, "I am point." 

"Sir, yessir," General Rhapsodos gave a terrible salute and Zack elbowed him. "Ow, Puppy, what the Hels-Ow!" 

Sephiroth casually examined his armful of Yazoo and pulled his boot off of Rhapsodos' with quiet conviction in his tone, "No cursing in front of my little brother." 

"Gen, I think you should stop. Zack and Seph will continue until you've received the message." General Hewley added as he used a piece of support as a cane. 

"Okay, okay, geez," Rhapsodos muttered as he straightened his damp coat and nearly toppled over. "Oh Fu-dge." 

General Hewley rolled his eyes and gave the other General a cane too. "Behave yourself." 

"Since when have I ever?"

* * *

Cloud listened with half an ear, a talent developed by nearly two years worth of parenting, noting that 'Ang' and 'Gen' were better paired together. 

Zack was torn between Yazoo and Aerith, cooing at the former and keeping an eye on the latter. 

Sephiroth was staring at the back of Vincent's broad shoulders, his expression a mix of relief, pain and something, if Cloud knew it right from his sons, approaching hope. 

"Vince, Ah gotcha a present but you better hurry your butt up!" Cid boomed down into the facility. "Bring mah favorite nephew, will ya?" 

"... Depends on the present, Captain." Vincent sniffed, the teasing lilt to it something Cloud wasn't used to hearing at all. 

"Gotcha a Turk who says we're not allowed to be here," came Cid's reply. 

"Hnn. Then by all means, keep hold of them."

Cloud was the second over the crest, followed by Sephiroth, Yazoo and Zack. 

Cid and Tseng were facing off, the gun aimed at Cid's legs and Cid's spear aimed for pretty much Tseng's balls. 

Cloud cleared his throat and then said in a tone so sweet that even his Ma would've cringed, "Put down your weapons in front of my son or I'll make you." 

Tseng holstered his gun and Cid slung the Venus Gospel over his shoulder, the strap materializing from his inventory. 

"Wonderful. Now, Tseng, would you ever so politely _explain why none of my friends and former superiors are actually, fully dead_?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
